The “Henry Hop” is only reserved for the most special occasions. For Dubai Hurricanes, a last-gasp, comeback win against their greatest rivals, to cap their remarkable climb back to the apex of UAE rugby and that too in the season they are celebrating their silver jubilee, qualifies as exactly that.
Two years ago, the club was languishing in the second tier of the domestic game. Despite being one of the largest amateur sports clubs in the region, they could not guarantee the availability of enough front-row forwards to compete safely along with the other giants of the domestic game.
They dropped down a division, and, although they rose back up straight away, on-field success remained a challenge. Then, at the end of last season, they put together a run of results that took them to the final of the UAE Premiership.
They fell short back then, beaten by Jebel Ali Dragons, but were encouraged to believe they were on the right track.
Twelve months later, they made it back to the same final. Again, they were second favourites on Saturday afternoon, against a Dubai Exiles side who have set the benchmark for excellence in UAE rugby for the best part of a decade.
The form guide appeared to be accurate as the Exiles, who had home pitch advantage – for what it is worth, given both sides are tenants at The Sevens – having finished higher in the league season, stretched out to a 26-8 lead by half-time.
The Exiles’ power game looked to be too much for the Hurricanes. All their tries were scored by seasoned UAE internationals: two for hooker Moeneeb Galant, and one apiece for Epeli Davetawalu and Justin Walsh.
And yet, for all the Exiles’ strength, the Hurricanes always carried a threat, especially in broken play. Wherever the Exiles left gaps, the Canes backline were clever enough to find them.
After Aaron Dubois had got them on the board in the first half, they cut the arrears with two quick tries after the break, through Andre Gerber and Martin Mangwiro.
The Exiles maintained a 29-20 cushion via the kicking tee, but Ruan Steenkamp, the Hurricanes captain, reduced the arrears with a late try.
There was enough time for the Hurricanes to mount another attack, from which they earned a penalty in kicking range. Gerber, with his 15th point of the game, bisected the posts to give the Hurricanes a thrilling 30-29 win, and with it, the UAE Premiership title.
All of which was enough for Henry Paul, the Hurricanes coach, to channel his inner Scott Robertson – the New Zealand coach who is known for his post-victory breakdancing – and bust out some moves in the valedictory huddle.
“This is something we started last season, and they wanted the ‘Henry Hop',” Paul said of his dance routine.
“I said if we win a final, I would do something. I’m not as skillful as ‘Razor’ [Robertson], but the boys got a laugh at my expense, which is fine because of what they have done for me over the past couple of seasons, and the amount of pleasure and joy I have got out of it.
“Even last year, losing the final to the Dragons, it was such a good season and we had so much to be proud of.”
The Hurricanes will not have long to celebrate. The domestic showpiece fixture doubled as a qualifier for the West Asia Super Rugby final.
The Hurricanes will play Bahrain in that, after the region’s pre-eminent side beat Abu Dhabi Harlequins 29-21 on Saturday.
Again, the Hurricanes will start that game as outsiders against a Bahrain side who have rivalled the Exiles as West Asia's top team over the past decade. And yet the Hurricanes playing style means they will always be a threat.
To be at 26-8 and turn it around just shows the character in this team. We are a band of brothers
Andre Gerber
The high-skilled, fast-paced attack is very much in their coach’s image. Paul was renowned as a stylish back in a playing career which saw him capped for England at XVs and sevens, and he was a great of rugby league, too.
Gerber said he couldn’t comment on whether the Hurricanes style is based on Paul’s style, claiming “I wasn’t born when he played”.
But the scrum-half’s own high-risk play to score the try which infused his side with belief just after half-time was the perfect expression of it.
“To be at 26-8 and turn it around just shows the character in this team. We are a band of brothers,” Gerber said.
“We have a perfect gameplan which brings out the personalities in our team. We have an expressive style of play. We believe in the system, and the system produced for us.
“Henry helps us express ourselves on the field and the belief coming from the coaching system is what allows us to do things like that.”
Paul said his side have room for improvement against Bahrain, but is thrilled to have won a final.
“As a coach, you do get nervous,” Paul said. “You back the players and say, ‘Trust what you do'. There were a lot of mistakes tonight, a lot of errors that we can fix and maybe it wouldn’t have been such a dramatic comeback.
“It shows the character of the team, and I must give a special mention to our attitude. That wasn’t the system; it was guys just working for each other.
“In terms of team morale, some guys just didn’t want to give up. We charged down three kicks, to turn those over then making something of that, it shows they believed.
“The coaching staff give them a bit of rope. Sometimes they hang themselves with it, but there are some quality players here and it is really nice to get that ‘W’ on the board in a big game.”
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Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Everton 1 Stoke City 0
Everton (Rooney 45 1')
Man of the Match Phil Jagielka (Everton)
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh234,000 - Dh329,000
On sale: now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,000m, Winner: Hazeem Al Raed, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: Ghazwan Al Khalediah, Hugo Lebouc, Helal Al Alawi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Dinar Al Khalediah, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi.
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Faith And Fortune, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Only Smoke, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: AF Ramz, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mass, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
